Connection-box.



'w. F. BOUCH.

CONNECTION BOX.

. APPLCAUON F|LE NOV. 23.1911. I 1,153,019. Patented Sept. 7, 1915,

- 2 SHEETSSHEET l.

w. F. BOUCHE.

CONNECTION BOX.

APPLICATION FIlED NOV, 23` IQII.

lnhfntedSept. 7, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHED 2.

I 4Ly a/ I7@ vengar I narran smarts rk'rnn'r ernten.

AWILLIAM F-BOUCH, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TOGOULD .COUPLERCOMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

CONNECTION-BOX.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 7, 1915.

.application led November 23, 1911. Serial No. 661.992.

terminals of the conductors or parts of a cir-v cuit which are to bejoined. The objects of the invention are to produce a connection box ofnovel construction.

in which the parts-of the switches or electrical connections ar'emounted on insulating plates which are so secured in the parts of thebox as to be readily removable therefrom for inspection or repair whenthe parts of the boxare separated; also to produce a box in which theseparation'of the parts of the box is resisted by the switches; alsoto'provide novel means for securely holding the parts of the boxtogether.

The connection box-constituting the subject of this application is moreparticularly intended Jfor use in car lighting systems in which thegenerator is mounted on the car truck and in which it is necessaryy tofreuently disconnect two parts of a circuit,

(fior example, the generator from the lighting circuits of a car inorder to .test the system, but the connection box is not necessarilylimited to this use.

In the accompanying drawings consisting of two sheets: Figure 1 is afront elevation of a connection box embodying the invention. Fig. 2 is asectional plan tliereoic on line 9,2, Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a longitudinalsectional elevation thereof on line 1. Fig. 4 in section, on line 4 4,Fig. 3.

Like reference characters refer to like parts in the several figures.

The electrical connections of the connec.- tion box arelcontained in atwo part casing, comprisingv a relatively stationary or part A which isadapted to be fixed to a suitable support, and a part B which is de-3-3, Fig. is a rear elevation thereof, partly- F is preferably employed.

tachably secured to the fixedl part and is adapted to be removedtherefrom.l In Vthe construction shown the fixed part A'of the casing isprovided with an opening a in which a conduit or container af is securedand' through which the conductor or conductors C of`one part of thecircuit enter the casing, and the other part B ot' the casing has areduced lower portion 7) to which a Hexible conduit or container b issecured and through which the conductor or conductors D of the otherpart of the circuit enter the casing. Suitable means are pro` vided forsecuring the stationary part A of the casing to the car or othersupport, such, for instance, as lugs a? provided holes for securingbolts orv the like. The part A of the casing is also preferably providedin its rear end ,with an opening w lich is closed by a suitable lid orcover plate as# which may be secured to the casing by screws a4, orother fas'tenings permitting the cover to be removed.-`,l All of theseparts of the connection box/f may `be of any desired or .suitableconstruction. The device is shown in the drawings'as connecting threesets of conductors, but it will be understood that the connection boxcan be equally well used for connecting the ends of one or any number ofsets of conductors.

`.The removable part B of the casing can be detachably secured to thestationary part A in any suitable way. As shown in the drawings, theparts are connected by hooks e on the lower portion ofthe removable partB of the casing which engage with a rod e secured to the fi. ed part A,and a spring latch E which is secured to the part A of the-casing andengages with a projection e on the removable part. The hooks are shapedto permit the removable part B to be swung downwardly about the rod ewhen the latch is disengaged' from the projection e2, and unhookedtherefrom, thus enabling the part B to be removed from the stationarvpart of the casing.

sIn order to facilitate the releasing of the latch and to prevent theaccidental opening of the box, a' latch operating lever or handle Thislever is pivoted at f on the removable part B of the casing and isprovided with a cam portion with Fifi

j which is adapted to engage the free end 'of the latch E and`ra1nse thesame out of engagement with tlie projection e2 when the lever is turnedin one direction, and with a hooked portion f2 which in the normalposition of the lever extends over the end of the latch and pret entsthe same from being disengaged from the projection e2.

The ends of the companion conductors C and D are fastened in anysuitable manner to the coperating members of a knife switch, whichcomprises a blade member G and a member'. G consisting of a pair ofspring 'plates adapted to embrace and grip the blade. rlhe blade membersG of the several-switches are secured in one part of the casing, forinstance, the part B, while the other members G are secured in the otherpart A of the casing, so that the switches are adapted to electricallyconnect the conductors C and D when the connection box is closed or thetwo parts thereof are secured together, and to disconnect the conductorswhen the vconnection box is opened or the parts thereof separated. Byusing a switch of this kind, a good electrical Contact is obtained andthe two members of the switch are held in engagement by friction, sothat if tlm latch for the two parts of the casing sho` Ad becomeaccidentally released, the switches would resist the separation of theparts of the casing. The blade and female members of the switches arepreferably mounted respectively on suitable insulating bases or plates HH which are removably secured respectively in the removable and fixedparts of the casing by screws 72, or other suitable means. By mountingall the blade members Gr on one insulating plate H and all the femalemembers G on another plate H and removably securing each of these platesin one part of the casing in the manner described7 the insulating platesand the parts of the switches carried thereby can be. readily removed'from the casing by merely separating the parts A and B of the casing andunscrewing the screws or bolts z.. This construction greatly facilitatesthe inspection and repair of the connection box and it is not necessaryto provide the removable part B of the casing with a removable cover or4plate to afford access to the connections between the conductors andthe switch members. A decided advantage is thus secured, since the rstcost of manufacturing and fitting the parts is reduced, and a separatecover is furthermore objectionable because it forms another -ioint inthe casing to keep tight and it is liable to worltA loose and becomedetached and lost. The fixed part of the casing is made with theremovable cover a? because this part of the casing is stationarilysecured in place, frequently in an inaccessible location, and theremovable cover affords an additional means of access to theconnections, but a removable cover for the movable part -B of the casingis not required.

The switch members can be secured to the insulating plates H Hl in anysuitable or usual manner, for instance, the blades G and plates G aresecured in blocks z/ which are fastened by screw studs h2 and nuts itsto the insulating plates. The ends of the conductors C and D areconnected with the studs if at the inner side of the insulating platesby means of the usual lugs or connectors ,7a4 which may be clamped onthe studs between the nuts h3 and nuts if.,

Then it is desired to inspect the connection box or to test thecircuits, it is merely necessary to turn the lever F and to swing theremovable part B of the box downwardly about the rod e; whereby theblades of the switches are withdrawn from the spring members. lf it isdesired to separam the parts of the casing, the removable part canreadily be unhooked from the stationary part. In order to inspect orrepair-the connections between the parts of the switch and theconductors D, the isulating base H can be removed from the part B of thecasing and the conductors connected therewith partly drawn through theconduitl o and the opening in the casing. The connections between theswitch members G and the conductors C are accessible by similarlyremoving the insulating plate H or by removingthe cover plate a3 of thepart A of the casing.

The connection box consists of the minimum number of parts, which is avery desirable feature in devices of this kind when used on railroadcars, since the constant vibration and jar to which the parts aresubjected will tend to loosen the connections between the'ditferentparts. The parts of the device are all securely connected and joined insuch a manner as to prevent their separation or loosening while in use.

I claim as my invention:

ln aI connection box, the combination of a casing comprising arelatively fixed part and a part which is movably connected to saidfixed part and which is of unitary structure and has integral side, topand rear walls, said parts having open meeting ends, insulating platessecured in said nartsvand removable through said open ends thereof whensaid movable part is detached from said fixed part, conductors enteringsaid parts and located between the outer walls thereof and said plates;and coperating knife switch members on the faces of said plates adjacentto the open ends of said parts, said switch members having partsextending through said plates and to which the conductors are adapted tobe secured at 'Witness my hand this 21st day of Nothe opposite faceslofsaid plates, said plates vem'ber, 1911. with said switch members mountedthereon being adapted to be removed from said WILLIAM F' BOUCHE' 3movable part of the casing throughv said Witnesses: open end when theparts are separated to A A. L. MCGEE,

afford access to the rear faces of said plates. C. W. PARKER.

